


Like a Dream- or Maybe a Nightmare

by DeannaWinchester242



Category: Santa Clarita Diet (TV)
Genre: Almost Lovers?, Awkward Romance, Best Friends, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Couple of Teenagers Being a Little Bit Dumb, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Nightmares, Nosy Parents, Undead, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-14
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2020-05-07 13:27:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19210381
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeannaWinchester242/pseuds/DeannaWinchester242
Summary: Eric’s offer and efforts to help with Abby’s nightmares are nice enough, but he never expected to be buried in the Hammonds’ lives the way he is now just two months ago, and it’s all been a little overwhelming. Now that he’s having nightmares, he brushes it off because of how much Abby seems to have on her plate already, but he’s never been a great liar and Abby’s way too good at sniffing out his anxieties at this point. Apparently, they both need a helping hand after dealing with the fears that being around the undead cause.





	Like a Dream- or Maybe a Nightmare

**Author's Note:**

> So, ladies, gents, and my non-binary friends, I live! It's been a hot minute since my last update on here, but I got this little thing out in two days so I'm hoping I'll be able to jump back into my other story full force after getting a little writing out of my system. This will likely stay a oneshot, but I do love Eric and Abby so if I have any ideas in the future for this or it's requested, this may become a continuation of this lovely show in our hearts. We're sad it's gone, but I was grateful to have it while we did, so I have no complaints. Have a great day, and don't forget to feed your Mr. Ball Legs, whatever that may be in your lives. Enjoy!

Admittedly, Abby isn’t the only one with fears of being helpless. Eric’s tried not to bring her nightmares up again after checking on her for a few days just to be sure she’s okay. Of course, an attempted kidnapping is a good reason to be scared, but shockingly after escaping the FBI’s most wanted list, some unwanted and unexpected anxiety crops up in his dreams that he just can’t shake. After all, aren’t the undead horrifying enough even without an anxiety disorder to help the fear along?

 

Across from him in the Hammonds’ living room stands Abby, for some reason unarmed even when Ramona starts stalking towards her. Never helpless and ever the badass, Abby jumps right into the fray. The two girls hit each other several times over while Eric desperately searches for a weapon to help-- but, just as he yells Abby's name, she gets distracted and his ex rips out her throat while he drops the knife in horrified silence. "No, Abby! No, no, no..." Finally, he finds his voice as he drops to his knees at Abby's side after she slumps to the carpeted floor, taking her hand in both of his own and finding himself completely in shock while she stares up at him with the kind of honest fear you'd only see from someone who's about to die. "Abby...h-hey, it's gonna be fine, you're okay. Your parents are coming, fuck, I'm so sorry--" His babbling is cut short as Abby chokes on her own blood after nodding up at Eric, her eyes becoming unfocused and glassy. He tears up as well, kissing her hand and trying not to notice how the blood is making her hair even redder in the worst way imaginable. 

 

The understandably emotional reaction to his friend's death is cut short as Ramona tugs him to his feet with an impossibly strong grip. The redhead's body almost seems to dissolve into the floor as Ramona takes his hand forcefully and smears warm blood onto his cheek with a kiss, her tone ever distant and cold. "Wow, I guess she really was okay dying for you...let's go, Eric. I won; you're mine now."

 

All he can feel is his nausea and his heart hammering in his throat as tears mix with the blood on his cheek and he's thrown into the trunk of Ramona's car in the midst of his panic. He couldn't even fight for his freedom in the oppressive heat and dark he found himself in. It'd be easy to kick out a taillight and open the trunk at a stoplight, but he can't imagine it after what he'd just done. Letting Abby die, letting down her parents...truly, it was his worst nightma--

 

The harsh, abrasive chirp of his alarm clock makes him jump in bed, heart still pounding and tears streaked down his cheeks as he searches around for his phone with a muffled curse into his pillow. It's only when he picks it up off the floor that he realizes it's Sunday, the middle of the night, and the alarm is actually his ringtone that he forgot to silence before bed the night before. Abby's ringtone, to be specific. He sniffles, swallowing a choked sob just at the mere memory of the horror show that had just played in his head as he slides his thumb over the screen and pulls his phone to his ear. "Abby? Uh, hey, what's up?" He asks, laying back down in bed and tucking a pillow against his chest with a shaky sigh as he hears his best friend yawn on the other end. "I know this is weird as fuck, but you specialize in weird, so come down and open your door? I...I can't sleep," she admits, sounding so open and vulnerable that it keeps him from thinking about his own misery for a moment. He brushes away the tears, sighing as he sits up again and actually gets out of bed. "Sure, okay. Wanna just talk when we get inside?" "Yeah-yeah, that might be better. See you in a minute," she responds instead of proper thanks, chewing on her nails after hanging up. 

 

It's not the first time that they've sneaked around like this, but for some reason when Eric closes the door quietly behind the two of them once they're back upstairs, it feels different. He doesn't explain his red eyes and he doesn't think she wants to ask as he sits down on his bed and rubs his eyes, but the look on her face when she flips on the dim lamp tells him otherwise. "Your computer's not set up, so no sad movies or dog reunion videos...wanna tell me what's going on?" She asks, sitting on his bed and taking advantage of the phone charger next to his bed as she hugs one of his pillows just as he had been before she came over.   


He blanks on anything to use as a fake explanation, so after a moment, he sighs and lays back, settling on telling the truth. "I guess I'm having nightmares now too...what about you?" He asks, already knowing the answer before she nods in confirmation. "Same here," she sighs, squeezing the pillow as she looks down at him and settles with her feet under the covers, her cold toes absolutely freezing him even through her socks. It makes him smile a bit, though, because at least it's a sign that she's there and safe. 

 

"I, um...mine was kind of about you. Not that it matters, they're just repressed fears anyway." Eric murmured, watching Abby sink further under the covers to get comfortable and benefit off some of the warmth that he was putting off. She moves to lay on her side, still hugging the pillow and cuddling into it (which was somehow the most heart-stopping thing he'd ever seen her do even with how strong she was) as she meets his eyes with her brow furrowed in concern. "Talk to me. I told you mine, you tell me yours."

 

He chuckled dryly after she lifted her shoulder in a shrug. "Abs, nightmares and nudes don't have the same policy, but we'll go with it for now..." He sighs shakily, smile fading as he absently pulls the covers over them both, staring off into space to recall the fresh memories without crying. "I went back to before Ramona left town the first time...but your parents weren't there, and we weren't prepared, and she killed you, in front of me." He admits, voice getting wobbly after his last slight pause and eyes a little misty now. "I...God, the look in your eyes when you--" He pauses, covering his eyes as he holds back a sob and Abby's eyes widen. She tosses the pillow, shuffling closer to touch his arm supportively. 

 

"Hey, it's okay. I'm right here, Ramona's got nothing on me. I'll be a knight someday, remember?" She smiles weakly, but soon she's pulling him into a hug because there's something completely heartbreaking about seeing him look so shattered over even the idea of her dying. "...I guess it's good that I came over, huh?"

 

Eric's nod against her neck hardly reassures her, but the hand rubbing her back does and soon she's much less tense about the whole ordeal. "It wasn't just...it was my fault, Abby. I couldn't get you a weapon in time, and...fuck, I know it wasn't real, but I'm sorry. I hold you back," he whispers shakily, a tear slipping down his cheek as she kisses his forehead and takes him by surprise. "Eric, we killed a couple zombies the other day...real, terrible zombies. You don't hold me back, you keep me safe." She assures him, making him feel like he can't breathe as he looks back up at her and his hand innocently slides along a bit of bare skin exposed by her ridden up sweatshirt. 

 

"I really try, Abby. I wanna help, I want to be in your crazy life. But...right now, I just want this." He smiles at her in return, grateful and chaste until he notices the quick flicker of her eyes to his lips and he decides to just make the move, or at least psych himself up enough for it. "I feel like this is the perfect time for me to ask if I can kiss you, but I don't want you to leave if the answer's no. I can deal if it is, it's fine...statistically, one of us would have eventually developed a crush no matter what, so--" 

 

Thankfully, this time his little ramble is interrupted by Abby, cupping his cheeks and planting a slightly abrupt kiss on his lips that he soon melts into after closing his eyes. He squeezes her hip softly, his other hand finding its way into her hair as they deepen the kiss slowly. At least they finally get to take more than a few seconds to enjoy this kind of intimacy before they pull away, Abby chasing just one more peck from him. They separate then, holding each other perhaps a little closer and breathing a little lighter, but otherwise they're happy and silent. 

 

...Which lasts about five seconds, naturally.

 

"Thank you for putting me out of my misery there," Eric smiles gratefully, softly twirling a lock of hair around his finger as he reaches up to thumb over her cheek, making Abby return the soft look of affection on his face. 

 

"Anytime, partner...so, what do we do now?" She asks, her hand resting on his shoulder and tracing over the seams of his shirt in a way that is much more soothing for him than one might expect. "Take it one step at a time? Save the impulsive stuff for criminal activities and helping your family, probably," he suggests, sighing in relaxation and starting to play with her hair to calm her down as well. It's late, and they're both tired anyway; maybe they can keep the nightmares away when they're together. 

 

"Okay. I can work with that, since I'll always keep you on your toes." She smiles, leaning into his hand and tracing invisible patterns and shapes into his shoulder as they relax into the bed together. He nods, yawning as well and kissing her cheek before settling into his pillow again and letting her turn the light off. "I'm pretty used to that already, I really like that side of you. It might be a little crazy, but it's passionate, and it's you..." He shrugs, and she somehow can't get offended by being called crazy when she's resting her head on his chest. 

 

It's quiet after that, both of them saying sleepy goodnights and hoping for better dreams for the morning now that they have each other, cheesy as that may be. They're teenagers! Young love is expected to be cheesy with that kind of idealism and innocence.

 

*****

 

The way Eric wakes up this time is better than a dream. Sure, they would have their shared problems for the next two years while Abby lives with her parents, but when they work together there's hardly anything they can't deal with. This time, instead of a middle of the night phone call, a beautiful girl nuzzling into his chest is what wakes him up in the early hours of the morning. He smiles, fingers running through her hair soothingly as he closes his eyes and waits for her to wake up peacefully. They really should enjoy the quiet, lighter moments in their crazy, crazy life...because really, who knows how many they'll really get? 

 

He's relaxed and almost drifting off again when he feels a kiss press against his jaw, Abby sitting up and making him smile just before he closes his eyes again and accepts the gentle peck she gives him, tucking her hair behind her ear. The two of them laugh a little nervously after Eric sneaks one more sweet kiss in, looking up at her adoringly. "We have really bad morning breath," he chuckles, pressing his lips to her cheek instead as she nods and blushes lightly. "My dad would call it dragon breath at this point, Jesus...you still have that toothbrush I keep here for sleepovers?" She asks, dropping a kiss on his forehead and stretching as she gets out of bed. 

 

"Uh...the blue one? Yeah, it's in one of those toothbrush cases in the left drawer under the sink." He nods sleepily, sitting up in bed and rubbing his eyes. "Okay, well after we slay those dragons, you wanna find something fun to do today?" She was leaning against his doorframe, the most casual thing in the world and yet it still amazed him, seeing her like this. Apparently this didn't scare her anymore, and he couldn't be more glad. Come on, dating his best friend and being able to help in her crazy life?

 

It's a dream come true.


End file.
